The next-generation Tesla Roadster is finally stepping back into the spotlight. After years of speculation and shifting timelines, Tesla has officially reopened reservations for its most expensive vehicle yet on its official website.
The move comes just weeks before Tesla is set to unveil the vehicle in Waco, Texas, on October 1. Nearly a decade after its original concept debut in 2017, the halo sports car is getting a fresh, formal unveiling where pricing, specs, and production targets are expected to finally take center stage.
The $50,000 Buy-In
Reserving a spot in line requires the same financial commitment Tesla asked for in 2017: an initial $5,000 payment due immediately, backed by a $45,000 wire transfer required within 10 days to finalize the order. The entire $50,000 deposit remains fully refundable, so if you change your mind after seeing the vehicle next month, you can get your money back.
Tesla also includes a clear caveat regarding what you’ll end up paying. The reservation terms note that any estimated purchase price is merely an estimate, adding that options, hardware, and packaging are still being finalized and the true price tag will only be confirmed once order configurators officially go live. When Tesla initially took deposits in 2017, it promised a $200,000 retail price for the base model and a $250,000 Founder’s Series, but changing manufacturing realities — not to mention the nine years that have gone by — almost guarantee price adjustments.
Visually, the production model appears quite different from the curvy red concept that rolled out of a Semi trailer in 2017. The teaser image shared on the reservation portal showcases a sharp, angular rear with a wide illuminated light bar and an aggressive aerodynamic spoiler that leans heavily into a blockier "Cyber" aesthetic rather than traditional supercar curves. For more details, check out everything we know about the Roadster so far.
A Rocky Road to Waco
The Roadster’s path to production has been notoriously turbulent. First revealed in the fall of 2017 with an original 2020 delivery target, the sports car was repeatedly shelved to prioritize Model Y volume and the Cybertruck. Even this year, Tesla originally targeted an April 1 presentation before repeatedly kicking the date down the line, finally landing on October.
Elon Musk’s increasingly lofty development goals likely didn’t help, either. Along the way, Musk has made wild promises about the Roadster’s performance envelope. Beyond a standard 0-60 mph sprint under two seconds, Musk has touted an optional SpaceX cold-gas thruster package capable of dropping 0-60 mph acceleration below one second, while joking that the sports car might even be able to “fly.”
Musk has spent recent months hyping the upcoming Waco demo as something truly unprecedented. “We actually need an audience to vouch for the fact that this is not AI,” he said at an event earlier this week.
Whether rocket thrusters make the cut for street-legal Roadster builds remains to be seen, but reopening order books proves Tesla is finally ready to show what nine years of development have delivered.
